Stamp-canceler and postmarker.



No. 672,225. Patented Apr, #6, IQUI.

c .1. bomlcus. STAMP CANCELER AND PUSTMARKEB.

(Application filed Sept. 2, 1898. Renewed Aug. 27, 1900.)

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No. 672,225. Patented A pr. I6, I90".

- C. J. DDRTICUS.

STAMP CANCELEB AND POSTMARKER. (Application filed Sept. 2, 1898. Renewed Aug. 27, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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Patented A r. I6, I90I.

C. J. DORTICUS. STAMP CANCELER AND POSTMARKER. (Application filed Sept. 2, 189B. Renewed Mag. 27, 1900.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

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OLATONIA J. DORTIOUS, OF NEWTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE DORTIOUS MANUFACTURING 00., OF COLORADO.

tSTAMP CANCELIER AND POSTMARKER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 672,225, dated April 16, 1901. Application filed September 2, 1898. Renewed August 27, 1900. Serial No. 28,127. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it 1720 concern:

Be it known that I, CLATONIA J. DORTIOUS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newton, in the county of Sussex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Oanceling Stamps and Postmarking Mail-Matter, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improve- ,ments in hand-stamps, but more especially to devices for postmarking or stamp-canceling mail matter or for both postmarking and stamp-canceling at once by hand. i

The object of the invention is to provide a device for the purpose stated which will be of simple, durable, and inexpensive construction and so constructed as to prevent the formation of blurred impressions and assure an imprint by the complete die Whether care is exercised or not.

To these ends the invention consists generically, first, in a jacket having a striking edge and a printing-die yieldingly supported within the jacket, the die and jacket being so constructed that when the striking edge of the jacket is brought into contact with the surface to be printed the die will descend and be free to automatically adjust itself to make a complete impression whether the striking edge hits the surface to be imprinted squarely or not; second, in a jacket having a plane striking edge and a printing-die yieldingly supported within the jacket,with its printingface normally above the striking edge, the construction being such that the force of the blow on the surface to be printed will be sustained by the plain striking edge of the jacket and the printing characters on the die will contact with the said surface with less force than the striking edge, thereby greatly prolonging the life of the printing characters, and, third, in a frame having a jacket, a die laterally and longitudinally movable in said jacket, and a means for supporting said die out of printing position, said means being constructed to permit the die to make a single impression only when the device is brought into contact with the surface to be printed. These generic features may, without departing from the spirit of the invention, be embodied in various forms of mechanism, several of which, differing from each other more or less in detail, are shown in the accompanying drawings.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of that form of device constructed to utilize the dies at present employed in third-class postoflices. Fig. 2 is a View of the under side of the same, and Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 4 is a plan view, Fig. 5 a view of the under side, and Fig. 6 a side elevation, of a modified device embodying my improvement. Fig. 7 is a side elevation, partly in section, Fig. 8 a plan view, and Fig. 9 a section on the line a: a; of Fig. 7, showing a further form of device constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 10 is a vertical section of an additional form thereof; Fig. 11, a vertical section of yet another form. Fig. 12 is a verticalsection of a form thereof quite analogous to that shown in Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a section through a device in which the die is supported in raised position by magnets instead of springs, and Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the magnets detached. Fig. 15 is a sectional view showing a jacket having an inclined interior wall and a die having vertical walls. Fig. 16 is a vertical section indicating a form of device which utilizes the dies now employed in fourth-class post-ofiices for postmarking only, and Fig. 17 is a plan view thereof.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 is shown a combined stamp-canceler and postmarker. The frame thereof consists of a handle 1 and a jacket integral with the handle and divided by a partition into two compartments 2 and 3, into which a postmarker 5 and a stamp-canceler 6, respectively, project downwardly from opposite ends of the connecting-plate 4. The plate 4., with its postmarker and stamp-canceler, is identical with that now used in thirdclass post-offices, but unlike the stamps now used it is movably mounted with its postmarking die and stamp-canceler normally held out of printing position within thejacket. Ears 7 and 8 project upward from the jacket and form supports for a plate 9, having an opening 10, through which extends the rod or shaft ll, projecting from said plate 4., This plate forms a support for a disk 12, which in turn supports a spring 13, that encircles said rod or shaft 11 and upholds the postmarker and stamp-eanceler in elevated position. The lower edge of the compartment 2 of the jacket forms what I term herein a striking edge, for the reason that in the operation of the device it is brought into contact with the surface to be imprinted.

In the construction shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6 the frame of the device is slightly different from that shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and consists of a handle 15, having depending ears 16, between which is located the separately-formed jacket 17, which is secured thereto by the bolt 18 and the nut 19. The portion of the handle situated between said ears is formed with the opening 20 for the reception of the shaft projecting from the plate 4:, and a flat spring 21 engages said shaft and supports the postmarker and canceler in elevated position when at rest. In this construction there is utilized the form of stamp-canceler and postmarker die now used in minor post-offices, in which the stamp-canceler is formed of metal having a grooved eanceling-surface 22 instead of being constructed of cork, as in the other form of die, but the other form of canceler may be used in lieu of'the metal one.

In the construction shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9 the parts are of special form throughout. In said construction the handle 25 is formed integral with the plate 26, and removably fastened to said plate by the screw 27 is a second plate 28, having openings to receive the jackets 2S) and 30 of the postmarker and stampcanceler, respectively. Said jackets are provided at their upper ends with circumferential flanges 31 and 32, which rest upon said plate 28. It will thus be seen that when the striking edge of the jacket 29 becomes worn said jacket may be removed and a perfect one substituted for it, thus obviating the necessity of throwing away the entire stamp. In this construction a disk 33 bears upon the upper end of the stamp-canceling body and is engaged by a screw 34, which may be adjusted to force said canceling-body downward within its jacket to compensate for wear or may be turned to permit said can-. celing-body to be forced upward into its jacket when it is desired to use the device for postmarking alone. Only the postmarker in this construction is spring-supported, and the shaft or rod 11 thereof obviously projects upward from about the center of the upper surface of said postmarker.

Referring to Fig. 11, it will be seen that I have provided a construction for either postmarking or stamp-canceling alone. In this form of device the handle does not project laterally from the jacket, as in the other form, but is screwed into the upper end of the jacket 36 or otherwise suitably secured thereto. Said jacket has a diaphragm 37, upon which rests the spring 38, which supports the die in elevated position within the lower chamber 39 of said jacket.

In Fig; 12 an analogous form of device to that shown in Fig. 11 is illustrated; but in this construction is employed a cylinder 40,

' to the upper end of which the handle 41 is secured and within the lower end of which is inserted a removable jacket 42 for the postmarking-die.

In Fig. 16 is shown a postmarking-stamp in which the frame is constructed to utilize the dies now used in fourth-class post-offices, and in this form of device the jacket 45 is formedintegral with the handle 46,which handle projects laterally from said jacket.

The operation of the device thus far described is as follows: When at rest, the postmarking and canceling die or postmarking or canceling die, as the case may be, is held above the printing position in the jackets or jacket by the spring. When the device strikes aletter, the momentum of the die overcomes the resistance of the spring, and the die moves forward in the jackets or jacket and makes an instantaneous impression upon the surface struck-instantaneous because it is immediately withdrawn and held above the edge of the jacket by the spring. This prevents the impression being blurred by the rebound of the stamp, and thus overcomes a serious objection found to all stamps heretofore proposed.

In addition to thus rendering it impossible to form a blurred impression my invention also contemplates the provision of a device by which the whole of the printing portion of the postmarking-die will be caused to imprint within the circle bounded 'by the striking edge of the jacket inclosing said postmarker,

whether said striking edge hits the surface to be printed squarely or at an angle to the plane thereof. To accomplish this purpose, the wall of the jacket and the postmarkingdie are of such relative construction as that one shall be movable laterally with relation to the other, and the opening through which the rod orshaft of the die projects is of greater diameter than said rod or shaft, as shown in the several figures of the drawings thus far described. I prefer to construct the postmarking-die in the form of a frustum of a cone and the jacket thereof with vertical or substantially vertical sides; but,as shown in Fig.15,the die 67 may have vertical sides and the jacket 68 have an inclined inner wall, or, as shown in Fig. 12, the adjacentsurfaces of both jacket and postmarker may be inclined without departing from the spirit of the invention, it being only essential to so construct said parts as to permit a lateral movement of one with respect to the other, so that if the striking edge of the jacket hits the surface to be printed at an angle to said surface the die will nevertheless descend in a plane parallel to said surface, and. thus make a complete and legible impression thereon, or if one side of the die strikes the paper in advance of the other side thereof said other side will immediately be thrown over and imprint. This is a most important advantage, as it usually happens that the postmaster, by reason of his inexperience or because of his haste, fails to hit the letter squarely with the stamp, which with other devices results in an incomplete and illegible impression.

In the several forms thus far described the die is returned and held in elevated position immediately upon the completion of the imprint; but in Fig. 10 I have shown a form in which the die is held in inclined position relatively to the jacket when the latter has not been caused to strike the letters squarely until a force is brought to bear upon it to return it to its normal position. In this form the handle is integral with the jacket 51, the postmarking-die 52 is hemispherical, the upper surface of the jacket is convex, and the disk 53, which forms an abutment for the coiled spring, has a concave under surface engaged with the convex surface of said jacket. When in the inclined position specified, the die will be returned to its normal position automatically when the device is brought into contact with the inking-pad preparatory to making another impression.

In Fig. 13 is shown a construction in which a magnet or magnets are employed for holding the postmarking die elevated. These magnets 55 are arranged in the top of the jacket 56, which is at the end of the handle 57, in position to attract the steel die 58 and hold the latter normally elevated within said jacket. The force of the magnet or magnets is such as that when the device is caused to strike upon an envelop to be postmarked said die will be released and permitted to descend and imprint and will be immediately returned to and held in its raised position by the magnet. It is preferred to form the outer wall of the die with grooves 59', into which project the guide-pins 60, said grooves and pins be ing of such relative sizes as to permit the lateral play above set forth.

In each of the forms, with the exception of those shown in Figs. 11 and 13, the dating portions of the postmarking-die are removable for the purpose of permitting a change to be made in the time to be indicated thereby. Said dating portions of the die are, as heretofore, removably secured in place by the screw 65. When this construction is employed in my stamp, the relative diameters of said screw and the opening 66, within which it works, are obviously such as not to interfere with the lateral play above described.

One of the principal advantages of my invention is that the printing characters at no time sustain the initial force of the blow in striking the letter or other article to be printed, but in all cases such force is sustained by the plane striking edge of the jacket, and the printing characters on the die will contact the surface with much less force, because the die in its descent will have to overcome the resistance of the yielding supporting device which holds it normally elevated within the jacket. The printing characters will thus be subjected to much less wear than they are in all devices known to me and in which they sustain directly the initial force of the blow. The printing-die is by far the most expensive part of a hand-stamp for postmarking, and anything that will prolong the life of the printing characters is of very great advantage.

From the above it will be seen that I have provided a hand-stamp of simple, inexpensive, and durable construction in which the parts are so related to each other as to render it practically impossible to imprint a blurred impression or to print less than the complete postmark.

Having thus described theinvention, what I claim is 1. In a hand-stamp, the combination with the handle, of a jacket having a striking edge, and a die mounted in said jacket with its imprinting-surface normally above the striking edge and capable of assuming an inclined relation thereto when projected.

2. In a hand-stamp, the combination of the jacket, the handle fixed thereto, thedie in said jacket, and means for causing the die to form a complete impression whether the jacket strikes the surface to be imprinted squarely or not, as specified.

3. In a hand-stamp, the combination of a.

jacket having a striking edge, and a die yieldingly supported within the jacket to have Vertical and lateral play, whereby when the striking edge of the jacket strikes the surface to be printed the die will automatically adjust itself to cause a complete impression to be made upon such surface whether the striking edge of the jacket is parallel thereto or not.

4. A hand-stamp, embodying a jacket having a striking edge, a die within said jacket, and means permitting said die to assume a plane parallel to the surface to be printed to make a complete impression when said striking edge does not hit said surface squarely.

5. In a hand-stamp, the combination of a jacket having a plain striking edge and a die yieldingly supported within the jacket to have longitudinal and lateral movement therein and having its printing characters normally above the striking edge, whereby the initial force of the blow upon the article to be printed will be sustained by the striking edge of the jacket and the printing characters will contact with such article with less force than the striking edge and their life be thereby prolonged.

6. In a hand-stamp, the combination of a jacket having a plain striking edge, and an imprinting-die, carrying all the characters to be printed, yieldingly supported in said jacket with its printing characters normally above the plane of said striking edge.

7. In a hand-stamp, the combination of a jacket having a striking edge, with a postmarker and a stamp-canceler connected to move together, means to support the post marker and stamp-canceler yieldingly within the jacket with their printing-surfaces normally above the striking edge, and means to permit the postmarker and stamp-canceler to adjust their printing-surfaces at different angles to the striking edge, automatically.

8. The combination of the jacket, having a striking edge, and a spring-supported die normally elevated Within said jacket, said die and jacket being relatively constructed to permit lateral playof the die to cause it to make a complete impression, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

9. The combination with the jacket having a handle, of a die having a postmarker projecting into one portion of the jacket and a stamp-canceler extendinginto the other portion, said parts being relatively constructed to permit lateral movement of the die, and means for normally supporting said die in elevated position, said means being constructed to permit the die to descend when. the device hits the surface to be printed, and to instantaneously return said die to its normal position, substantially as described and for the purposes indicated.

10. The combination with the jacket, and the handle connected therewith, of a die having a postmarker projecting into one portion of the jacket and a stamp-canceler extending into the other portion, said die being laterally and longitudinally movable with respect to the jacket, a plate supported above said jacket and having an opening, a rod or shaft projecting from the die through said opening and of less diameter than said opening, and a screw extending from the postmarker through an opening in the jacket which is of greater diameter than said screw, substantially as described.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 1st day of September, A. D. 1898.

OLATONIA J. normous.

Witnesses:

O. J. STOCKMAN, E. F. GENNERT. 

